Case for stacking and removing discs

ABSTRACT

Stackable and access free Disc Case comprised by one outer cover ( 10 ) and one inner cover ( 20 ). The outer cover ( 10 ) incorporates ribs ( 11  and  14 ) to ensure a proper piling and no rotation among cases. The inner cover ( 20 ) that also acts as the disc base, rotates regarding the outer cover for enabling the disc access and its extraction. Cases can be piled over a Platform ( 30 ) that ensures the minimum distance to avoid chafing between consecutive piles when operating the inner covers ( 20 ).

Present invention describes a Compact and DVD disc Case capable to be stacked one over the other, enabling at the same time to extract the disc from the case without removing the single case from the stack, therefore keeping the initial sorting of discs.

STATE OF THE ART

CD and DVD jewel cases available in the Market does not allow a proper stacking since they have no reference point between cases that ensures a good alignment of the cases. Besides, existing cases does not allow the extraction of the disc without removing the single case from the pile, since its opening system, book sort, makes mandatory to remove the case from the pile to subsequently open the case and extract the disc.

Current cases are rectangular shaped and discs are rounded, presenting a material excess that has no function, since disc protection can be made with a case rounded in the corners.

INVENTION DESCRIPTION

Invention consist in a CD and DVD case design that enables a sorted stack and an easy disc extraction.

The case is comprised by an outer cover that protects the upper part of the disc and by an inner cover that protects the lower part of the disc, and matches with the upper face of the outer cover of the below single case.

The outer cover has a design that ensures a proper aligned stacking and that ensures the lack of rotation of the outer cover when operating the inner cover. The inner cover is also the disc base.

With the aim of saving material, in its main variant, the case of this invention is rounded in all the corners except the ones that contains the axle and the handle.

Outer and inner covers include fixing elements for the labels.

To ensure a minimum distance among piles that enables the extraction of the discs, and to improve the pile stability in heights bigger than 20 units, a Platform is created. This Platform contains the same matching ribs as the covers.

The main advantages of this case are:

-   1. Perfect aligned stacking and sorting of the discs. -   2. Easy extraction of the discs keeping the initial stock sort. With     standard jewel cases, unless they are classified in a rack, after     the disc is removed from the pile, the user puts it back on top of     the pile, changing continually the sort of the pile. -   3. Material saving and therefore lower manufacturing costs. -   4. Bigger stock capacity, since its thickness is lower than the     standard jewel cases one. -   5. Only one hand is needed for extracting a disc from the pile.

DRAWING DESCRIPTION

In FIG. 1 there is a overview of the invention, where the inner cover is turned regarding the exterior one up to the position where the disc can be extracted. FIG. 2 shows the section “AA” marked in FIG. 1

The outer cover (10) comprises:

-   A rib (11) that matches over the shape (12) of the lower face of the     outer cover. To avoid friction during the opening of the inner     cover, the thickness of the rib (11)“e” must be smaller than the     thickness of the exterior cover in the lower face (12)“E”. -   Two holes (13) to incorporate the axle (21) of the inner cover (20) -   A shape (14) and other (15) that actuates as rotation-stop device of     the outer cover. -   An elements (17) to fix the label.

The inner cover (20) comprises:

-   The disc base with an disc centring element (22) -   The shape (23) that acts as a handle for extracting the disc with a     finger. -   The wall (24) that closes the case in the area where the wall (16)     of the outer cover is stopped to allow the turning of the inner     cover (20). -   The elements (25) are for fixing the label in the inner cover.

FIG. 3 shows the Platform where the cases are stacked. Contains two ribs (31) and (32) that matches in the shape (12) in the same way that it is done by the rib (11). The distance between axles of the piles “B” is in a way that enables the turning of the inner covers of the pile to extract the discs without chafing with the nearest pile.

The Platform comprises connecting elements (33) and (34) to provide a robust alignment of consecutive pairs of piles.

INVENTION EMBODIMENT

The cheapest manufacturing process is the plastic injection.

The three described elements: Outer cover, inner cover and Platform are shapes that can be built in an injection mould, without material flow or demolding potential problems.

Normally the outer cover will be made of transparent plastic and the inner one of black plastic. 

1. Stackable and access free Disc Case comprised by one outer cover and one inner cover that incorporates ribs to match cases between them and avoids any relative turning, where the inner case actuates as disc base, turns over an axle that allows the disc extraction without removing the case from the pile, cases can be piled over a platform that ensures the minimum distance to avoid chafing between consecutive piles.
 2. Case as the one described in claim 1 where a cover has squared or rectangular shape.
 3. Case as the one described in claim 1 where a cover has one of the corners rounded.
 4. Case as the one described in claim 1 for discs of any dimension. 